Discover Linux the safe way

Frankly, my dear...
After some consideration, we think that a distribution called Damn Small Linux (hereafter called DS Linux) is an excellent place to start.

The file size is fairly small, so dialup users are not left out (although it will take about three hours to download).

It is also very versatile and can run from a CD, a USB key, or even from within Windows.

The Windows option utilises a clever trick to run DS Linux in a window, which is able to access the internet if the host computer does.

This is very useful because setting up an internet connection can be difficult.

To download a copy of DS Linux, click DS Linux, then click on the download link.

This page shows a list of places from where DS Linux can be downloaded. Using several different locations – called mirrors – helps to spread the load between different computers and speeds up access.

Click on one of the links and then on the folder called ‘current’ in the web page that appears.

To create a live CD, download the file called DS Linux-2.2.iso. To run DS Linux in Windows, select the file DS Linux-2.2-embedded.zip.

Note that this release number may change as new versions are released. If in doubt, always go for the highest number as it will be the most recent.

If you’re a dialup user or a broadband subscriber who can download only a set amount of data each month without incurring a penalty, it is possible to buy Linux distributions on a CD.

UseLinux sells DS Linux on a business card-size CD, which will fit in a PC’s CD or DVD player.

The downloaded file that ends in ‘.iso’ is used to create the bootable file, but it is not enough to copy the file onto the CD.

There may already be CD creation software on your computer, otherwise, ISO Recorder is a simple way to do this.

Download and install the file, making sure to get the correct version, based on whether Service Pack 2 is installed on your computer.

Insert a blank recordable CD into the writer, right-click on the .iso file and select Copy image to CD.

Check that the correct drive is shown in the Recorder section and click on the Next button. ISO Recorder will then create a disc.

To prepare the embedded version for use, double-click on the .zip file and follow the instructions given to extract the files.